3 times people think Mari has a cat one time Adrien outs himself
by inasiriusrelationship
Summary: Some love-square fluff with a reveal thrown in just for fun (the title really says it all). Originally written for the ML Secret Santa on Tumblr. Previously posted on AO3.
1. Chapter 1

**3 times people think Mari has a cat + one time Adrien outs himself**

 **1.**

"Hey, Mari?"

Marinette hummed questioningly at her best friend from across the room, not even bothering to look up. She was sitting at her desk, head bent over long overdue homework (the superhero life had been way too glammed up in movies, to be honest; that and Superman probably didn't worry about his physics grades); Alya's more than usual wandering around was the least of her concerns, to be honest.

"What's that on your balcony table for?"

Maybe she'd spoken too soon.

Flipping her chair around, she did her best to wave the other girl off nonchalantly. "Oh, it's nothing."

Alya frowned down at her from her bed, the magazine in her lap apparently forgotten. "You sure? If you forgot that there I can go pick it up for you. I promised I wouldn't mock your creative process habits again, so no judging from me." Her friend raised her hands as if surrendering, a tiny smile on her face – that "fight" had been more than a little funny; Alya simply couldn't wrap her head around the fact that someone usually so organized with her things (when they weren't all getting splattered across the floor from her constant tripping and falling, that was) could get so damn chaotical as soon as inspiration hit. "I just don't get why you'd even take stuff to eat out there, it's freezing."

Marinette bit her lip, turning swiftly towards her computer and willing herself to channel ladybug's quick thinking – no polka dotted objects ever stood out to her in her civilian life, however, which was a real shame (she could really use the help in physics). "Right, that's because... I… didn't. I mean, those aren't for me, it's just… I-I got an alley cat!"

Hah. If only he was here to hear this.

Alya blinked, tilting her head in confusion at her best friend - Marinette recognized it as her "let's evaluate whether or not Mari is being sane" look, which didn't really bode well for her; neither did her disbelieving tone. "An alley cat?"

"Yes! Yeah, it came by one night and I gave it some milk so now he keeps coming back. I just leave some stuff for him outside. ever since." She mentally patted herself on the back until she spotted Alya's face in the reflection of her computer monitor. "And cats eat… pastries?" she flicked her thumb over in the direction of the balcony, voice now dripping skepticism.

 _Damn those journalist instincts._ Marinette gave out a little laugh and flipped a hand over her shoulder. "Oh, those are just some funny cat shaped foodies I found at the supermarket the other day. I thought it would be really cute, you know?" She put forward her best gushing tone then held her breath for a second. Eventually, Alya shrugged and picked her magazine back up, flipping through it without much interest. "Alright. Hey, how's the homework coming along? Got to question 4 yet?"

Blowing out a discreet sigh of relief, Marinette shook her head. "Nope, still at number 2."

"Okay, well let me know when you do. I'm having some doubts, Nino is just as clueless as I am, and Adrien is out of commission already. Sunshine boy's bedtime is really annoying."

"Yep, will do." The bluette chirped, still mentally berating herself for leaving Chat's treats outside when he just ended up coming in any way – it had been such a nice joke treating him like an actual alley cat and leaving him a bowl of milk, though. She honestly hadn't been able to help herself. Marinette shook her head to clear it from thoughts of her leather clad partner (which she had been needing to do more and more often ever since he'd started dropping in on her alone nights).

"So, how are things with Nino? Aside from his uselessness in physics that is?" She teased her friend, who in turn rolled her eyes playfully, mirth and affection slipping into her tone nonetheless. "Well, he's actually rather useful in biology, and math too, so I'm keeping him for now."

Marinette wiggled her eyebrows. "Bet he's really good at chemistry too, huh?".

Superhero reflexes or not, she was never gonna deflect the pillow that came her way. Yep, definitely overrated.

 **2.**

Marinette tried to stifle her giggles as she spotted Chloé nodding off once again across the room, but it was just so damn hard. The girl was trembling with silent laughter, to the point where she was afraid her teacher would notice, so she leaned back on her chair and hunched her shoulders, trying to hide her face as best as she could. Alya threw her an odd look and she just shook her head in response, holding a hand up as she tried once again to regain control of herself.

Even Nino leaned forward in his seat, a mix of amusement and concern etched on his features as he peeked at his friend. "Everything okay, Mari?"

Just as he finished speaking, Chloé's head fell on the table with a loud thump, startling her awake and raising yet another peal of laughter from the other girl. The blond shook her head, looking around with a glare on her face before spotting her; uncharacteristically lightheartedly, she merely stuck her tongue out at Marinette, clearly too tired for her usual overly spiteful responses. Marinette had to smile at that; she briefly wondered if Chat and Chloé knew each other.

 _"Kitty?" she giggled, palm over her mouth to somewhat hide her amusement as Chat's head lulled into his own palm. Grass green eyes fluttered open slowly; he turned to her, seeming more than a little dazed. "Hmm?"_

 _"You sure you don't wanna go home and get some sleep? I promise I won't be offended. I know that Akuma took a lot of you." That last part had her sobering up a bit – her kitten was always so hell bent on keeping her safe she knew he exhausted himself both physically and mentally when fighting the most openly offensive of Hawkmoth's minions._

 _The leather-clad superhero pouted at her._

 _"But my pwincess went to all the trouble of baking me these amazing cookies!"_

 _Marinette smiled and shook her head, leaning forward to run her fingers through his hair; he leaned into her hand immediately, a soft purr emerging from within his chest, and she carried on, amused. Two minutes later he was nodding off again, and Marinette couldn't help but laugh. He blinked awake drowsily, half-heartedly glaring at her before sticking his tongue out at her in a childlike manner._

"Am I dreaming? Is Marinette Dupain-Cheng actually gazing affectionately at Chloé Bourgeois? Nino, pinch me!"

Marinette rolled her eyes at her best friend's antics. "Ha ha. No, it's just she reminded me of… my cat. He sticks his tongue out like that when he's sleepy too."

She heard a cute little snort behind her and turned around to find a suddenly very mirthful Adrien. "Sorry. I'm sure your cat is adorable, Marinette."

For once, Marinette was able to smile collectedly at her crush (score), her smile growing fond as she thought of her partner. "Yeah. Yeah, he is."

She didn't quite get why the blond turned flustered at her words, a light pink blush dusting his cheeks.

 **3.**

Ladybug frowned as she tried yet another window, finding it locked as well. She was beginning to get frustrated; it seemed like the Agreste Mansion really was an impenetrable fortress. Then a light came on upstairs, where she had a pretty decent idea Adrien's room was; smiling triumphantly, she swung herself up to take a peek, then almost fell backward with a loud screech from what she saw. The blond model inside the room startled, his hand faltering and dropping the towel he'd been using to dry his hair while his eyes widened and he mouthed her name. Ladybug waved sheepishly, trying not to let her eyes drop down to his very bare chest. And down still to his very prominent v-lines – and why in the world did he have to wear such low-cut pajama bottoms? He was going to bed, not a damn nightwear shoot. Ladybug let out another screech, although thankfully less noticeable than her original give away.

Mercifully, the blond made a grab for a shirt before unlatching the window lock and letting her in. He backtracked to sit on his bed, grabbing a tiny glass ball that he fiddled with – Marinette was so hypnotized by the movement that when he offered her the couch she refused, leaving her no choice but to remain standing and nervously shifting her weight from one foot to the other instead.

"What are you doing here?" Adrien asked in an adorably confused tone, one that quickly turned panicked as he backtracked, blushing slightly. "I mean, not that I'm not happy to see you, I mean, it's- it's an honor, really, I just… I mean…" Ladybug raised an eyebrow, amused, and he deflated like a balloon. "I- don't know what I mean, really, I'm sorry." He lowered his head down in defeat after his blabbering session, but it only got Ladybug giggling behind her gloved hand.

"It's okay, Adrien, really." It felt nice to be on the other end of the stuttering mess, for once. "I just wanted to check in on you." Suddenly turning serious, the superhero frowned. "There have been way too many akumas close to you recently, and today's was just…" She trailed off. Adrien had been the actual particular target of this bested coworker turned akumatized villain. It had been scary, especially for those long minutes when she lost sight of him completely.

The blond seemed completely flabbergasted for a moment before he broke into a huge smile. "Oh, yes, I'm- that's awfully kind of you m- ladybug."

Okay, so maybe she was blushing a little bit now. "Ah, you're… welcome. Yes." Raising her finger in the air to enhance her serious-all-business-superhero tone and turning around so she could focus again, she carried on "It's important to follow up on citizens! Defeating the Akuma is only half the work after all!"

When she turned to face him again, Adrien's smile was simply endearing, but it flew completely over her head when she looked at the time – she hadn't realized she'd wasted so much time trying to get in. Chat Noir would be coming around anytime soon. "Oh shoot!"

Adrien got up immediately, taking two large steps towards her. "What is it, what's wrong?"

Ladybug waved off his concerns with both hands, grimacing slightly. "Oh, no, don't worry, it's just that I have a sort of a date."

His whole demeanor changed in a second, shoulders hunching as the corners of his mind drooped slightly. "A date?"

Ladybug found herself blushing until she was the same color as her suit – how in the world had she managed to refer to her hanging out time with _Chat_ as a _date_? Hurrying to correct herself, the superhero scratched her head as she spluttered out an explanation quickly. "Oh, I don't mean like a date-date, I just really need to get home to my cat."

When Adrien's frown only deepened, she panicked. Nice one, Marinette, now you're just a crazy cat lady! "I-I mean, it's not really a cat-cat, either; everyone just thinks I own one, but it's not like I can just tell them outright that Chat Noir is the one lounging on my balcony-"

A loud, sharp noise cut her off as the ball Adrien was still holding shattered on the ground beneath them, startling Ladybug enough that she took a step back. The blond seemed frozen for a moment before blushing scarlet and rushing to fix the mess that now surrounded them; thankfully it hadn't jumped high enough to harm any of them. "S-sorry, it slipped."

Ladybug blinked before rushing to her knees alongside him, gathering shards of glass as well. "Oh, I can help you clean this u-"

Adrien shook his head quickly, stilling her hands with his own. "No!"

Ladybug blinked at him in surprise, only for him to smile sheepishly back at her. "I just meant, uh… no, you go ahead on your non-date, ladybug, please."

She worried her lip between her teeth. "Are you sure?" At his vehement nod and persistence, she ended up leaving, a strange feeling in her gut as she swung her yo-yo all the way home.

 **+1**

Marinette was honestly getting tired of dodging questions about her "cat". Apparently, half the girls in her class were obsessed with the damn things, and just wouldn't leave it alone. The photo requests were particularly hard, as her excuses were running thinner and thinner.

Even Juleka of all people was curious!

"Hey, Marinette?" she wondered aloud during one of the class's unusual free periods; since they only had one hour between classes, the majority had chosen to remain in the library for some much needed studying (finals were just around the corner).

"Hmm?" She replied absentmindedly, not even bothering to look up from her chemistry notebook, where Adrien had helped her solve an exercise she wasn't entirely sure she'd understood anyway (perhaps because the model had chosen to sit beside her and lean into her personal space throughout the whole explanation, all the while flashing her that bright smile of his and intoxicating her with his delicious scent; but that was merely a hypothesis).

"What color is your cat?"

Her head snapped up. "What?"

Juleka shrugged from where she sat, absentmindedly playing with her girlfriend's short strands of hair while Rose leaned over what looked to be three different biology textbooks. "It's just that, well, I have a cat, and I constantly have hair all over my clothes… but I never see it on you. Like, white or orange hair would show up on the darker stuff, and black hair on the white things, and I've just… never seen it on you." She shrugged again. "It's a little weird, that's all."

Marinette blinked owlishly. Damn. Damn. Damn, damn, damn, _damn_ -

Suddenly there was a hand on her knee, and then Adrien was speaking over her quickly derailing thoughts. "Oh, Marinette's cat is much too classy for that."

What.

What.

It was Adrien's hand on her knee. Adrien was touching her knee. Adrien Agreste was touching her knee.

Oh, Marinette could just see her headstone. Marinette Dupain Cheng – beloved daughter and friend, died at the age of seventeen: from knee touching.

Her brain short-circuited so much she didn't even catch the actual words he'd said at first – when she finally did, she whipped her head around so fast she was afraid she'd break her neck. Adrien was smirking right at her, but his words were still aimed at their suddenly very interested group of friends. "Did you know she refers to her time with him as 'dates'? It's cute. I mean, she clearly loves the damn cat a lot."

Marinette's brain was fried. _Fried_. And then his hand moved on her knee, thumb caressing the inside of her leg, and _oh my god what the hell was going on_. "And I swear to god, that cat is in love with her." He turned to her fully, fingers squeezing momentarily as he looked her in the eye and breathed out the next words. "Like, really, really in love with her." Winking at her and seeing her dumbfounded expression, his mouth widened into a true shit-eating grin; her eyes were as wide as saucers by this point, but he wasn't done. "He thinks she's just _pawsitively_ awesome."

Nobody could really understand just how Marinette went from a blushing mess with a clear as day crush to a vicious punching machine – Adrien just laughed all the way through her attack, though, before dipping her for a kiss (yes, they all cheered - even Juleka, who for the life of her could not figure out how things had evolved to that point from such an innocent comment).


	2. Chapter 2

That was completely irresponsible!"

"Totally."

"You just think you're soooo smart, don't you? Did you ever stop to think that someone else may have gotten your little double entendre back there?"

"So unprofessional."

"And- and you can't just announce that you love me like that, what the hell!"

"Definitely not cool."

Marinette finally stopped pacing long enough to take a good look at him and narrowed her eyes, hands on her hips; Adrien had to admit the stance would be quite terrifying, if not for the completely adorable blush that currently dusted her cheeks and made him smile like an idiot. She threw her hands up in the air in a clear sign of exasperation. "Seriously? It's like you don't even care about what I'm saying at all."

Adrien did his best to look sheepish even though he was relishing every minute of flustering his sweet classmate (much like he had been for the past week since he'd figured out she was also his partner). "I'm sorry, I just really wanna kiss you again and I honestly can't seem to focus on much else."

Marinette let out a small meep sound and punched his arm. The blond pouted. "Me-ouch, Mari. I was just being honest." Marinette opened and closed her mouth several times, then she was reaching up on her tiptoes and pressing a quick kiss to his lips, not before she checked both sides of the deserted corridor she'd dragged him into after his little stunt. "There. Happy now, you silly kitty?" She crossed her arms over her chest, feigning nonchalance even as her cheeks reddened further, but Adrien just grinned wider and pulled her close to him again. "Oh, hardly, my lady. I don't think I'm _ever_ gonna get enough of that."

Marinette blinked owlishly up at him and her blush went positively _nuclear_ ; but she was Ladybug after all, which meant two things: she could definitely pull off the color red, and she certainly wasn't gonna give him the upper hand just like that. He watched her smirk slightly as she disentangled herself from his embrace and then tilt her head to the side, crossing her arms once again in a defiant attitude. "Well, that's too bad, because I have a lot of exams next week, and I really need to focus on studying, you see." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye with deliberate indifference. "I have no time to be satisfying the whims of irresponsible cat-boys."

Adrien put a hand to his chest, gasping exaggeratedly. "Irresponsible? My lady, you wound me."

Marinette merely shrugged, failing to hide her amusement as she waved at him before heading back to the library. "Tchau for now, _Chaton_."

The next few days passed rather uncharacteristically at the collège, at least for the 11th grade, who seemed to be entirely flabbergasted at the new dynamic between everyone's favorite ship that had apparently been established since the impromptu kiss in the library.

Marinette was no longer a blushing mess around Adrien. Instead, she was as collected as one could be during exam season, while the blonde model took to carrying her books, without getting anything more than a thank you every time – not that it seemed to affect him; in fact, every time Marinette gave him one of her small smiles and a strictly polite "Thank you, Adrien", all he did was roll his eyes affectionately and blow her a kiss, by which she, in turn, wasn't affected either.

The most interaction they had with each other was during their study sessions, but even then – and despite the fact that the class had taken to rotating turns watching them (no, they were not freaks, mind you, they were just a little over-invested) – there seemed to be nothing but _actual studying_ going on.

Even their best friends were entirely clueless. The most that Nino had been able to get out of Adrien was something that had sounded a lot like "Mari has me in the kitty house", and the blonde had burst into laughter before he could come up with any follow-up questions. Alya, for all her journalistic skills, hadn't been any more successful in prying information out of Marinette – the pigtailed girl had smiled with a somewhat predatory glint in her eyes before shrugging and commenting on how nice it was that people seemed to be finally gaining some sense of responsibility.

To put it lightly, everyone was disoriented. They had hoped the kiss meant they were moving forward and could actually start _dating_ … they had most certainly not seen this coming.

Things eventually got so bad they had to bring out Plan C; no one was too happy about it, but at that point getting a rise out of Marinette was priority _numero uno_.

"Oh, Adrii-kiiiiiins!" Chloé drawled loudly, her eyes dashing to Marinette across the room for just a second before she launched herself at her friend's neck, pushing herself on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. "Wouldn't you help me go over chemistry for tomorrow's exam, please? I could really use some pointers."

Adrien rubbed at the back of his neck somewhat uncomfortably, his eyes too darting over to the pigtailed girl who seemed to be packing her stuff to leave. "I- actually, Chloé, I was going to go over to the library with Marinette…"

Chloé pouted at him, looping her arm through his. "But I'm your best friend! Come on, pleeeease?"

Meanwhile, Alya nudged Marinette's arm, pointing her head towards the other pair. "What a pain, isn't she? I mean, she clearly isn't interested in studying." To her surprised disappointment, her best friend merely shrugged. "I mean, Adrien really is good at Chemistry, and it's not like Chloé's father can actually influence a national exam result." She finished packing and descended the rest of the stairs, pausing in front of the couple. "You can come with us, Chloé, I'm sure we can manage to study together."

The other girl gaped at her for a second, eyes darting back to where the rest of the class were all huddled together. Alya was making her frenetic hand signals and Nino was bunching his hat in his hands in nervous concentration; Rose kept jumping up and down in excitement and Max still seemed to be discussing the probability of success of the mission with Kim, his boyfriend rolling his eyes affectionately (he'd informed her it was about 20% before, and she was inclined to believe him now). "Ah, well… you see, I… uh…" Chloé finally pushed her hands up with a groan. "You know what, I give up."

Adrien frowned. "What? Chloé, you can't give up on this exam, it's a big deal! If you actually need help that badly, I'm sure Marinette wouldn't mind studying alone for a bit while I run you through the basics…" he trailed off, side looking the other girl, but she was smiling coyly up at him. "That's very responsible of you, Agreste."

Adrien's grin spread like wildfire across his entire features, and he shifted to face her entirely. "Well, that's me. Very responsible, you see." Marinette suppressed a giggle and nodded, failing to keep a straight face on. "Oh, I do see that now."

"Yeah?" He smirked, coming closer, and she nodded again, flicking his nose. "Undoubtedly."

" _Mon Dieu_ , just kiss already!" Chloé practically screeched, drawing them both to a halt. There was a brief moment of silence in which everyone seemed to be caught in the suspense before Adrien raised a brow. "My- Mari?"

Marinette chuckled at his almost slip up then released a dragged out sigh, feigning boredom. "I suppose you _have_ earned it, I mean, not that you've apologized or anything…"

The blond took her hand in his and raised it to his lips, giving her his best innocent smile. "I am deeply sorry for acting so recklessly. Forgive m-" He was cut off as the pigtailed girl surged forward and practically tackled him with the force of her kiss, both of them laughing against each other's lips.

Chloé blinked at the scene before turning towards her classmates, hands on her hips and a smug smile plastered on her face. "Well, what do you know. I'm a miracle worker."


End file.
